Can end having removable strip



Feb.- 4, 1969 J. E. COOK CAN END HAVING REMOVABLE STRIP Filed Dec. 19, 1966 M/VINTOR 1/0727: Edward (0070 I w Nam/q United States Patent 3,425,590 CAN END HAVING REMOVABLE STRIP John Edward Cook, Hadley Wood, England, assignor to The Metal Box Company Limited, London, England,

a British company Filed Dec. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 602,925 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Mar. 2, 1966,

US. Cl. 220-54 Int. Cl. B65d 17/20, ,7/38; B21d 51/26 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to can ends and in particular to can ends which include a panel provided with a tab secured to a removable portion which on pulling of the tab is removed to permit dispensing of the contents of a can to which the end is fitted.

Because of the difiiculty of making controlled score lines in tinplate for the purpose of defining the removable portion, and of securing a tab to tinplate, it is now usual for a dispensing type can end to be made of a metal such as aluminium or aluminium alloy. Such material is, however, expensive and sometimes unacceptable as compared with tinplate and efi'orts have been made to produce a bimetallic can end consisting of a tinplate end which includes a panel having formed therein an opening closed by an aluminium closure member. The bi-metallic ends as at present known are, however, difiicult to manufacture, need expensive special equipment for their manufacture, and use closure members provided with a tab which is unitary with the closure member, thus making it diflicult to ensure that there is no leak between the junction of the tab and closure member and the edge of the opening in the panel of the can end.

It is a main object of the present invention to provide a bi-metallic can end which can have the closure member applied thereto in an easy manner, ensuring a leak-proof joint and so designed that the closure member can be scored and tab fitted with conventional tab fitting machines.

According to the invention, there is provided a can end made of tinplate and including a panel having formed therein an opening closed by a closure member of soft metal, such as aluminium or an aluminium alloy, adhesively secured to the underside of the panel, said closure member being provided with score lines defining a removable portion to which is secured a tab by which said portion can be removed by tearing along the score lines.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan of a can end according to the invention prior to the scoring of the closure member and to the application of a pull-tab to the closure member.

FIG. 2 is an underneath plan of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section on line IIllII, FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a top plan of the can end with the closure 3,425,590 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 member scored and having a pull tab applied thereto, and

FIG. 5 is a section on line VV, FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the can end is of conventional configuration and includes, as is customary, a panel 1, a peripheral curled flange 2 by which the end is seamed to a can body, and a channel 3 in which is disposed a sealing compound 4, FIG. 5.

Thecan end is made of tinplate and has an opening 5 closed by a closure member 6 of metal, such as aluminium or aluminium alloy, the closure member being secured to the underside of the can end by any suitable adhesive 7. The adhesive is an organic adhesive with a suitable combination of properties in respect of strength, adhesion to the metallic surfaces, and nontoxicity, and may, for example, be a thermo-curing adhesive comprising an epoxy resin with a suitable plasticizer and hardener, or it may be a thermoplastic adhesive of the nylon type which can be applied as a thin strip between the can end and the closure member. The surfaces of the panel 1 and closure member 6 may be pre-lacquered with a vinyl-based lacquer, such as that sold under the trademark Vinylite, preparatory to the application of the plastisol.

The opening 5 extends inwards from a position 8, FIG. 1, adjacent to an edge of the panel 1, and ribs 9, as can be seen from FIG. 3, may be introduced to protect the lips of a person drinking from the can. The securing of the closure member 6 to the panel 1 in the manner just described ensures that the opening is closed in a leakproof manner.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the end 10 of the opening which is remote from the edge of the panel 1 is of arcuate form facing the opposite end 8 of the opening.

When the closure member 6 has been secured to the can end as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 the closure member is provided with score lines 11, FIG. 4, which define a removable portion 12 to which a pull-tab 13 is secured. The score lines are formed in known manner and the tab 13 is secured to the portion 12 in any desired known manner, for example by riveting 14.

The can end as described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 can be handled and treated in the manner of an end which does not have an opening closed by a closure member and because of this it is possible to efiect scoring of the closure member 6 and the securing of the pull-tab 13 thereto by equipment which is basically the same as that known and used for scoring and applying tabs to can ends rnade wholly of aluminium.

The ribs 9 terminate at positions 15 spaced from the end 10 of the opening '5 and the tab 13 is secured to the portion 16, FIG. 1, of the closure member 6 which extends between the end 10 of the opening and the ends 15 of the ribs 9.

As shown in the drawings the can end is of circular form but it will be understood that it may have a form other than circular, for example it may be rectangular.

I claim:

1. A can end made of tinplate and including a panel having formed therein an opening closed by a closure member of soft metal, such as aluminium or an aluminium alloy, adhesively secured to the underside of the panel only by adhesive material intermediate said panel and said closure member, said closure member being provided with score lines defining a removable portion to which is secured a tab by which said portion can be removed by tearing along the score lines.

2. A can end according to claim 1, wherein the tab is riveted to the removable portion.

3. A can end according to claim 1, wherein the can end is of a circular form.

4. A can end combination comprising a can end member having a peripheral portion for attachment to a can body, a central panel portion and an opening in said panel portion, a closure member covering said opening, score lines in said closure member defining a separable portion of said closure member, adhesive means securing said closure member to said can end member and sealing the closure member with said can end member about said opening, said closure member being afiixed to said can end member only by said adhesive means.

-5. he combination according to claim 4 wherein said closure member comprises an outermost peripheral portion extending beyond the periphery of said opening, said adhesive contacting said peripheral portion and said panel portion about the periphery of said opening, said closure member having a planar central portion lying on the same side of said panel portion as said peripheral portion of said closure member.

6. The combination according to claim 4 wherein said can end member is of a first metal and wherein said closure member is of a second metal softer than said first metal.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said can end member is of tinplate and said closure member is of a metal of high aluminium content.

8. 'The combination according to claim 4 further comprising a pull-tab, said closure member including a rivet portion fastening said pull tab to said closure member.

9. 'The method of making a can end combination including the steps of providing a can end member, forming an opening in the can end member, providing a closure member, aflixing the closure member to the can end member in closing relation to the opening, scoring the closure member after said step of affixing to provide a removable portion of the closure member.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein said step of alfixing includes providing an adhesive substance and joining the closure member to the can end member solely by employing the adhesive substance therebetween said step of scoring occurring subsequent to the adhesive fastening of the two members.

11. The method according to claim 10 further including the step of riveting a pull-tab to the closure member subsequent to the adhesive fastening of the two members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,223,277 12/1965 Zundel 22O53 3,272,381 9/1966 Bozek 22054 3,337,084 8/1967 Song 220- 54 THERON E. CO'NDON, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE T. HALL, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

